Neath Port Talbot Eco Parent & Baby Show 22nd May 2011
NPT Parent & Baby Show 22nd May 2011
A chance for new and expecting parents to find out how to be more environmentally friendly and visit over 20 stalls with parenting advice, financial advice, safety advice and family activities.
Real Nappy Week and Wales Sustainability Week both run from the 16th to the 22nd May NPTCBC would like to use this time to promote the benefits of living a greener lifestyle – particularly to parents – who can save a lot of money.
Becoming a parent can be very expensive new and expectant parents face the costs of nappies, milk – if bottle feeding, equipment and furniture as well as increased cost of clothing, bills and travelling and for those with toddlers and older children there is the added cost of food and often food waste.
According to the authors of Small Fortunes, a survey for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation the average spending on a child comes to the massive total of £50,396 between birth and the age of 17 where does the money go? A great deal - more than £16,000 of the total - goes on food. Over £800 goes on nappies for the average baby, and almost pounds 4,000 on clothes. Child benefit meets approximately one fifth of the cost of a child – and so we need to recognise necessities and where we can save as children only get more expensive as they get older.
Using Real Nappies can save you up to £500 and using washable wet wipes can save you up to £230
You can save up to 90% on the cost of a new item by buying second hand or accepting items from friends or from swapping websites, you can use a variety of way to find second hand items now including online auctions, free-ads, charity shops, car boots sales, jumble sales and nearly new sales run through the National Childcare Trust but there are items to avoid if second hand – such as car seats, pushchairs without the British Standard sticker BS7409, mattresses, electrical items, hand-knitted toys and clothing with strings around the neck. For information of buying second hand safely visit http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/buyingforbaby/knowhow/secondhand/
In Wales we throw away around a third of the food that we buy every year, this is very expensive costing around £680 per year, try to meal plan for your family, make your baby’s meals from sratch and freeze portions, if you do use food in jars for your baby then recycle the glass. You could try growing your own veg and fruit to feed your baby and older children will enjoy taking part in gardening – growing your own can save you up to £300 per year, you don’t need a big garden – pots, hanging baskets and sunny windowsills are all great places to grow.
With advice from some of the Stall holders at this event parents will be better informed on subjects like Real Nappies, Breastfeeding, travelling without the car, saving with the credit union, buying or swapping reusable items – such as furniture and clothing, and having a healthy diet.
As well as this information we have a range of other stall holders with information for new parents including Oaktree Clinic who do private 3D/4D baby scans, Photographers, clothing and book retailers, Halfords, and baby massage.
Tickets for this event cost £2.50 for over 16’s free for under 16’s and are available from the Princess Royal Theatre Box Office, all attendees will receive a reusable shopping bag and stall holders are offering samples, discounts or offers on their items.
A full list of stalls is available on the Council’s Whats on page and www.npt.gov.uk/greener
